Czech teenager Nicole Vaidisova beat Venus Williams 6-7, 6-1, 6-3 at the French Open on Tuesday to reach her first grand slam semi-final.
PARIS: Roger Federer kept alive his dream of winning all four grand slam titles by reaching the French Open semi-finals with a 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 win over Croatian Mario Ancic on Tuesday.
The Swiss had walked on to a sun-baked centre court on the back of a 25-match winning streak in major tournaments. Although he was tested at times by Ancic, he booked a place in the last four against either David Nalbandian or Nikolay Davydenko.
The big-serving Ancic let four break points slip in the opening set and allowed Federer to clinch it after flaying a forehand wide.
The world number one ran into a spot of bother in the second set when he trailed 2-0 and was 0-40 down in the third game.
After emerging from that unscathed, Federer won the last five games of the set in breathtaking fashion to leave Ancic completely deflated.
The 12th seed, who consulted a trainer midway through the third set, succumbed after two hours 17 minutes after misfiring a service return wide.
Nicole accounts for Venus
Czech teenager Nicole Vaidisova beat Venus Williams 6-7, 6-1, 6-3 at the French Open on Tuesday to reach her first grand slam semi-final.
"I'm so excited I could just scream now," said Vaidisova who beat world number one Amelie Mauresmo in the previous round. She now plays 2004 US Open winner Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia.
Nick Bollettieri's 17-year-old protege opened a 4-1 lead in the first set before Wimbledon champion Williams rallied by winning the next four games, and forced a tiebreak.
Williams, a finalist here in 2002, won the tiebreak 7-5 after clawing back a 5-2 deficit. Vaidisova was undaunted, however, and went back on the offensive to wrap up the second set in 39 minutes.
The 16th seed sealed the match in two hours eight minutes when Williams sent a forehand long.
"I'm so excited, I've never been beyond the fourth round of a grand slam and now I'm in the semi-finals," said Vaidisova, who could become the second youngest player to triumph at Roland Garros if she wins the women's final on Saturday.
"I'm trying to get wiser and more mature and I guess today it just worked for me."
Clijsters outpowers Hingis
Former world number one Martina Hingis was no match for Belgian second seed Kim Clijsters, who reached the semi-finals of the French Open with a 7-6, 6-1 defeat of the Swiss on Tuesday.
Clijsters will celebrate her 23rd birthday on Thursday with a possible match against compatriot and defending champion Justine Henin-Hardenne.
Henin-Hardenne, seeded fifth, plays German Anna-Lena Groenefeld in another quarter-final on Tuesday.
Clijsters was forced into a first-set tiebreak by Hingis, who lost it 7-5 after 54 minutes.
The second set was a mere formality for the powerful Belgian, however, and she wrapped up the match in 76 minutes.
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